Through the Flames
by lea writes
Summary: When the noble prince, Uchiha Sasuke lays eyes upon Haruno Sakura, all bets are off. He is consumed by her beauty and innocence so much that he must have her, even if it means disrupting the peace. Meanwhile, around the Seven Kingdoms, others are battling among themselves. A dark tale of betrayal, lust and how things are not always as they seem. ASOIAF-universe. SasuSaku & others.
1. Chapter 1

_**Through the Flames**_

_When the noble lord, Uchiha Sasuke lays eyes upon Haruno Sakura, all bets are off. He is consumed by her beauty and innocence so much that he must have her, even if it means disrupting the peace. Meanwhile, around the Seven Kingdoms, others are battling among themselves in a twisted game, naïve to the evil dangers that lurk beyond the icy cold wall. Brother turns on brother, rich nobles getting blood on their hands and greed circulating around the lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms. A dark tale of betrayal, lust and how things are not always as they seem. ASOIAF-universe. SasuSaku & others._

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_**A/N: **__I thought it would be a spectacular idea to add ASOIAF into a Naruto story, and thus we have Through the Flames! : I'm really excited to show you all this because I love ASOIAF and I love Naruto, and I couldn't not put them together. I'm going to try to make this work as best I can; I'm putting my chapters in the format of GRRM because it's simple and easy._

_You should also be aware of the fact that you don't even have to know what A Song of Ice and Fire is (if you don't, go read it/watch it!) to read this story. It's going to be very much in the atmosphere of ASOIAF, much to George's distaste xD. _

_I should probably tell you that the focus is going to be mainly on Sasuke and Sakura (and when I say that I mean plenty of lemons and smut to come lol) but there will be other lives that we look into. I'm not going to bash on other characters too much, or make them out to be Mary Sues/Gary Stu's, so character development is a must._

_You all remember Kimimaro Kaguya? I sure hope so, because he's just a beautifully made character ya know. Anyways, for the sake of the story, Kimimaro is alive and well. In fact he is from a noble clan, and he is going to be a supporting character! Watch, you'll love me._

_With one final word, please REVIEW. I bid you farewell and enjoy c:_

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"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."

William Shakespeare

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**KONAN**

The courtroom was filled with many people, more than she had ever seen. There were stone cold men from the dangerous and vile place of the Stormlands, other beautiful and saintly men from the beautiful region of the Reach. Some she even recognized to be the banners of many Northman, which was a very rare occasion as there wasn't a large number of Northerners in the capital city of all the Seven Kingdoms.

As the men started to pile into the courtroom, it started to become messy and disorganized, the men were being very loud and obnoxious, disturbing any who were either inside or out of the Red Keep. This was important, she could tell. The Emperor wouldn't exactly let the courtroom become untidy on a regular day, he would have caused havoc and someone's head would be on a stake within the first few minutes of them arriving.

From the balcony, Konan watched the men. The Stormland men were very stern-looking, a face that matched the dread-black of their clothing and the disarray tangles of their beard. They kept a secure hand fastened at their waistline, brushing against their katana's in case someone decided to cause any funny business towards their lord. The men of the Reach, however, were mostly beautiful men, with white armor around their hakama's and a dreamy look about their faces. They had no worries, which could be a terrible mistake when standing alongside someone from the Stormlands.

Upon the Iron Throne sat a grim-looking man with light-brown hair that was slicked back and a large golden pendant on the fold of his sharp, blue hakama. He looked angry, as he always did, whether he was pleased or not didn't matter, the expression of the Emperor never withered away. He rested his chin on his ring-hand, and watched as the various men before him started to settle down.

Beside the Emperor on a much shorter, stool-like chair was a beautiful well-kept woman. The usual thick, seven-layered kimono she wore with elegance and pride to her married clan. This woman was born to be royalty. The Empress consort of her reigning husband was much opposite as Konan had come to know, serving her for many years. She was kind and fair to all whom she spoke to, even if they had committed high treason. Though she had been known to order an execution, it wasn't without good reason.

On the opposite side of the emperor was a man with long, silky hair who had just recently turned twenty-three. A single man, the oldest son of the Emperor and Empress; he moved in a very gracious way, but was always strict and severe in battle. The heir wasn't known to show mercy, and was constantly asked the question of marriage whenever he had given a chance to be spoken to. A well-sought after man, of course.

A man who was shorter than the other by a few hairs stood beside his brother. The youngest of the clan, and another handsome man, at that; he was only eighteen years old. Konan always felt a blush whenever walking passed the young man, though in reality, he had never once acknowledged her existence. She knew that he was rebellious and had a crude attitude towards his father and brother, but he was also one of the greatest fighters of the Seven Kingdoms after his brother.

The family looked too much alike. Both boys inheriting their father's bone and face structure, while the oldest having his father's eyes and the youngest having his mothers. The two offspring of the royal clan looked too similar for Konan to even believe. Raven-black hair, and glossy black pupils that absorbed so much evil and prosperity. Most men were known to become very intimidated even at their presence from a distance.

"I assume you are aware of why our clans have come to you, Your Grace?" a tall, sturdy man with a mass of starched hair on top of his head had said. He had bowed when he had first started talking. When the man looked up to the Emperor, Konan could see his facial expression held uncertainty, which was common for a lot of people. The towering man kept his bow at the front of his line, and even turned his head towards the ground, once he had heard the Emperor clear his throat.

"Yes, I am aware of this matter." the Emperor said, with no kindness in his voice. Uchiha Fugaku was his name, living up to his clan's reputation of being a heartless man and a strong swordsman on the battlefield. He was a fire master, and had learned to tame even the blackest of all fires, like his ancestors before him, hence why their sigil has always been a deep red phoenix upon a navy-blue banner with the truest and fiercest words of _Through the Flames_.

In front of the now-organized rows of men, were their great lords. The white-haired man was in front of his lower, yet loyal, clans that were inferior compared to his clan which ruled over the Stormlands. From the exceptional education Konan had received as a child, she knew that the ruling clan of the Stormlands was none other than the Kaguya clan. They were probably as rigid as the royal Uchiha clan, and probably much more intimidating. It was easy to distinguish between who was a Kaguya, versus another from the Stormlands, that was for sure.

The Kaguya clan, as Konan knew, had a history of fighting with the Uchiha for the Iron Throne. Though it has been generations and generations ago, Konan suspected that the never ending hatred towards the Uchiha from the Kaguya wouldn't die down anytime soon, even though they did bend the knee several hundreds of years ago. White, snowy hair was their trademark, and though it was a paradoxical statement, it looked good on them. All of the Kaguya's that Konan had heard of were austere and unforgiving.

On the opposite side of the room, between the dark blue carpet that separated themselves from the men of the Stormlands was the men from the Reach, and in front of all of them all was the great, noble clan. The Haruno clan was at the same noble level as the Kaguya, being the superior clan of all the lesser clans in their region. The Haruno clan was dreamy and wise. They were known for being intelligent, romantic and very beautiful. All of the Haruno men and woman have been sought after for this trait.

Konan wished to meet a handsome man from the Haruno clan at least once in her life. To look into their famed eyes that were said to be as striking and deep as an emerald. It was said to be a curse or a blessing to fall in love with a Haruno of the Reach, because they were so captivating. Haruno-sama was a gracious man with long platinum blonde hair that reached his waist. Along with armor that looked as if he was wearing silver with his hakama.

But the question Konan seemed to ask herself, as she was idly overlooking the courtroom from the balcony, was why both clans were present in the Red Keep at the same time. The two regions were polar opposites, one being cold and envious while the other was desirable and patient. The Stormlands bred very wrathful men, teaching them to be strong and repugnant and the Reach bred men of aspiration, teaching them to be perfect knights.

Haruno-sama bowed his body down to the Emperor now; it didn't look right to Konan. The Haruno lord looked as if he should be the emperor, and the Uchiha man should be the one bowing. The lord looked like a saint, or an angel. But nevertheless, he was bowing towards his emperor. "You Grace, we wish to settle matters. We want to claim peace and everlasting between our two clans, if at all possible."

"Is that right?" the royal Uchiha man looked towards the superior, yet rival clan. He was really looking towards Kaguya-sama, who as of the moment was unbowed. Moments later he slowly nodded his head in approval to Uchiha Fugaku. The two eyed each other for a long second in something that Konan thought was probably lack of respect, or untrustworthiness.

"After months of secrets, whispers and small battles between your clans, you want to put a stop to it, do you?" the Emperor asked as a sort of rhetorical question. Of course they wanted to put a stop to it, the men of the Stormlands wouldn't be here otherwise. They already had a strong enough shell as it was, and it was a wonder they came on their own free will to arrive at the Red Keep.

"Of course, Your Grace, that it our intention." the Haruno lord said, causing the Emperor to look at the charismatic man before him. "Is there any possible way to receive your blessing, Your Grace? The Haruno and the Kaguya clan are both at fault for making the Seven Kingdoms tremble at our unnecessary devotions. But we have come to an absolute agreement, and we are hoping that you will give us means of peace."

Konan realized that the great Haruno lord sounded nothing short of judicious in his tone of voice and the language chosen. He was willing to admit, in front of the royal clan, that his clan was at fault; something that many men, noble and meagre, failed to do. But he was also a lord, and he admired tranquility over conflict. She still wondered about the Kaguya clan though, they were made to start wars, why were they so easily persuaded to come to an agreement? Was the Haruno clan responsible for causing an unnatural disturbance in the Kaguya clan?

Even if war did end up breaking out between the two respective clans, the Uchiha would obviously side with the Haruno's because of the questionable reliance with the Kaguya clan, and the Haruno clan had many friends, including the lords of the Westerlands and Dorne. The North has always been unreliable of the Iron Throne, so they would align themselves with the Kaguya clan, as well as the lords of the Iron Islands. Konan shook her head of all the possibilities; it was starting to get confusing.

"By means of peace and blessings, I am sure you mean a contract of some sorts? A royal contract at that." the royal Uchiha looked at his wife as she whispered something in his ear, too quiet for anyone else to hear what she was saying. She finished it with a smile and looked at all of the men in the room with gentleness. Emperor Fugaku thought upon her words for a moment, causing an intense silence and suspense to go throughout the room.

"Of course, Your Grace. Though we are both indecisive about what this royal contract could be." the Haruno pressed on. The Emperor looked at the opposite corners of the room, which Konan had come to perceive as his thinking face. Konan had watched many royal court sessions, being one of the trusting hands of the Empress, and had almost determined when the Emperor was thinking hard about something.

The room trembled at the awkwardness the Emperor was sustaining. The answer wouldn't be simple; Konan knew that for a fact. She was a smart girl who didn't expect anything ripe to come out of the Uchiha's mouths. They were usually obscenely fair with their congregations concerning matters of war, but Konan always anticipated that the Uchiha would finally create the realm to be a tidy and nurtured place that it deserved to be.

"Hmm..." the Emperor murmured. His eyes lazily shot open and looked at each of the lords. "Are there any in your main family tree that are unwedded and unpledged as of this very moment?" the royal Uchiha blinked his eyes in a lengthened motion, signalling his test of patience. So that was what Uchiha Fugaku was getting at. It wasn't simple, but it seemed as though he knew exactly the means to achieve the peace the two clans seemed to be longing for.

The Kaguya lord was the first to speak, with his rough-toned voice. "We have yet to arrange a marriage for my oldest son, Kimimaro." Out of habit, Kaguya-sama pressed his hand against the fine top of his katana. It looked as if the lord was beginning to feel betrayed when asked about the concept of marriage for his son. Konan undoubtedly smirked.

"Yes, my daughter." the Haruno lord vaguely told the Emperor. Judging by the unfortunate look on the Haruno's face, it seemed he knew exactly what was going to happen; and he wouldn't like it one bit. Konan was grateful she didn't have to undergo what the daughter of this Haruno-sama will most likely have to. The whole idea of being forced to marry someone that you can't even tolerate was like the chiming of a very loud, very annoying bell.

"The status of your daughter, then?" questioned the Emperor, who seemed eager to end the meeting as soon as possible. Patience was a virtue, but it gleamed within his beady eyes that he lacked just that. The Uchiha wanted to get the meeting between the two good lords over and done with, and the way he was speaking confirmed that.

"My wife has told me Sakura is flowered and pure." as the Emperor said this, he tapped his ring hand repeatedly on the arm holds of the uncomfortable Iron Throne. The Empress whispered in his ear again, but this time it was only for a brief few seconds. She then postured herself in front of the crowd of men and finally noticed Konan. The Empress gave a momentary, yet innocent smile at her right-hand maid before focusing on the crowd once more.

"It's settled then." concluded Uchiha Fugaku. "A betrothal will be put forth between Kaguya Kimimaro and Haruno Sakura, to ensure peace between the two regions of the Stormlands and the Reach, and before our Godly Ancestors, this is witnessed. Do you fully agree with the conditions of this betrothal, great lords?"

The Kaguya lord sighed. "I consciously agree, Your Grace." The Emperor looked hastily at the Kaguya counterpart. The Haruno lord hesitated, he was rendered speechless. It seemed that these terms of peace were unnerving and unexpected. Konan perceived that the great lord didn't want to give away his daughter to the beastly frightening lord's oldest son. Konan was excellent at observing people as well as her books; it was part of her everyday activities.

Minutes passed by before the lord of the Reach finally cleared his throat, ready to speak. The entire time the Emperor had conducted the preparation of the betrothal, his eyes had been opened wide, and he may have been trembling. Konan couldn't blame him, a tribe as evil as the Kaguya, and his daughter was likely to be tied up with chains, never to see the living light of day for as long as she remained with them. It frightened Konan and she didn't even know the poor girl.

"If it is the will of both our Godly Ancestors and Your Excellency, then I will consciously agree." the Haruno lord gulped. It was apparent that all of the others could tell exactly what the Haruno lord was feeling. Worried. Unsettled. Protective. It was right to be distrustful of the Kaguya clan. They have always been deceiving and betraying, but it was already too late for Haruno-sama. There wasn't much anyone could have done, courtesy of the royal Uchiha Emperor.

For the first time since the starting of the royal court session, the beautiful Uchiha Empress spoke. "It would also be our greatest wishes to provide your clans with a tournament held here in Kings Landing, in honor of your newfound peace, of course Let us say in the time range of a month." Uchiha Mikoto sounded sweet as dumplings when she spoke, and it took her husband by surprise. He obviously had no idea that she would outright call for a tournament without his permission.

Fugaku looked towards his wife with a sort of bittersweet confusion. The Empress gladly smiled at him with her ink-coloured eyes. "It will be done." Uchiha Fugaku gave in. "See to it that both of your clans make a strict appearance. Make sure you inform many samurai and shinobi of this action. It will be in one month, as she says. You have my leave."

The Emperor sat up from the Iron Throne and strolled out of the courtroom without looking back. Surely he would be angry, the crown was plenty of gold in debt, but Mikoto was always anxious about tournaments, even though they were expensive. Konan watched the Empress momentarily smile at each of her boys and she walked out of the throne room, heading down a different direction than her husband.

One-by-one, the men ambled out of the humongous throne room and out of the Red Keep. Now Konan had to find the Empress and see to her needs. She stepped down the grand hallway of the Red Keep, her geta sandals clapping intently behind her. Konan was in the Empress' favor always, and had to rush to her side unless she was ordered not to. It wasn't a bad thing, she had grown fond of the lovely empress, but there were some days where she wished she could see everything outside of the rotten and filthy Kings Landing.

It took Konan awhile to catch up to the Empress, but she finally found her and it seemed like Mikoto was heading towards her personal room, away from the room she shared with the Emperor. It had many private belongings of the empress,' she was the only one who was allowed to enter the room with Mikoto, the other handmaidens she thought to be untrustworthy, as they were poor and greedy at times.

The room was filled endlessly with jewels and precious gems in rosewood containers and glass boxes. Kimonos and selective obis were carelessly hung up, a row of zori and geta sandals close to the window. Different fabrics and beads tossed on the floor, with a workers desk and a couple chairs on either side. The Empress' room was a wealthy styled pig sty. She had quite the affection over the room; she said that she could be herself in it; that it expressed herself.

Mikoto shut the door behind her, telling Konan to have a seat on the chair beside the workers desk. Once Konan did so, the Empress made her way towards the desk and sat down on the opposite side of Konan. Mikoto sighed. "At times I wish I wasn't an empress." she put her palm over her sweaty forehead like she was tuckered out.

"Your Grace?" Konan worried about the dark-haired woman at times. She said things that were almost nonsense. There wasn't a person alive who didn't want to be an emperor or empress. Which why it shocked Konan, Uchiha Mikoto was thought to be the perfect empress, the best one the Seven Kingdoms had ever saw. It wasn't plainly from her perspective, either. Many people loved the Empress, and thought she was an angel sent down by the Godly Ancestors. She was the only Uchiha that the people of the Seven Kingdoms had ever truly admired.

"You know, Konan, I was the same age as you when I was sent here to the Red Keep." Mikoto said. Konan gulped, and Mikoto continued. "I wasn't from a noble family, same as you. I was a farmer girl who grew up in the Riverlands. I was chosen to become a handmaiden for the Emperors daughter, which was how Fugaku had met me. So I probably know how you feel about serving the Uchiha clan."

Konan had known that Mikoto was young when she had come to the Crownlands, but she wasn't aware that Mikoto was born from a merchant's family. Konan had always suspected that she was a noble's daughter that had been betrothed like the many Empresses before her. Konan's orange eyes were peeled wide open at the story.

"The Empress before me, Fugaku's mother, didn't approve of me marrying her son, she had it in her mind that some Haruno girl would be best suited to wed for Fugaku. Of course, that didn't happen because I am here now, but sometimes I just wish I could have gotten out of this place. I haven't left here since I first came here.

"I know how horrible and uncanny this place is, but I have one request for you. You're the only one I could ever hope to trust in this place." Konan knew that the Empress held high regards for her. She had been proud to live with that fact, but somehow, she knew that what the Empress would want, Konan wouldn't like. Of course Konan would have to succumb to it, because Mikoto was like a sister to her.

"It seems like it's almost our time to pass up the crown, and though I know how unsettling the Red Keep is, I want you to be the one to rule it… alongside my son, Itachi." Bright orange-eyes, stared into the never ending abyss that was the Empress' eyes. Konan could hardly believe her ears, she had to shake her head a little bit to make sure she wasn't dreaming or having a nightmare.

"Your Grace…" Konan could hardly find the right words to say. "I… Why?"

Uchiha Mikoto took a long breath in, and exhaled. "I know this is unfair, and it is very selfish of me, I want you to be the Empress of the Seven Kingdoms." she paused for a moment. "Konan, you're brave and beautiful and fair, and though it won't be a marriage full of love, I want you to rule with my son."

The request would have been unfair and selfish if Konan hadn't been promised to serve the females of the Uchiha. She could marry Uchiha Itachi, like the great Empress said, or she could spend her life being a slave to the royal court. Both ideas weren't in favor of Konan. She had barely spoken any words to the oldest son at all.

"I can see so much of me inside of your eyes. You would be the perfect empress, and I fear that Itachi may not be a very deserving Emperor. It is the same with Sasuke, unfortunately." Mikoto looked shamefully at the ground of her personal chambers. "All I see when I look at Itachi is war and strife. But if you were to be his bride, you would have some say in how orders go around the kingdoms. I know I'm asking a lot… But…"

"Your Grace, how will this marriage consummate if I were to agree?" Konan bluntly asked the Empress. She was still in shock that the Empress would ask her to do such a large duty as this one. It seemed near impossible. Would Konan truly make a good empress? Did Uchiha Mikoto really think that highly of her? Konan was young, only twenty four, she should still be labeled as naïve and irresponsible.

"Betrothals are only between noble families, negotiated by the royal family. Since you are not of noble blood it will be much more complicated as it was in my case. But, if I were to arrange the marriage in a sort of contract fashion that would get Itachi to willingly agree to it and sign for it. We must make him see that he has no other options but to marry you."

"I see." So basically, Konan had to either seduce Uchiha Itachi in a way that made her intriguing to him. If it wasn't a request from the Empress herself, Konan would be very rigid about it. If she failed, she had nothing to lose. The only worry she had was Itachi himself. Nobody ever knew what he was thinking or feeling, he seemed to be very uptight and unsympathetic about everything. His younger brother wasn't any different.

"So, will you do it?" the Empress asked. Konan bit her lip weighing out her options, as if there were any options for her. There was nothing more she could do, once she was chosen to serve for the Empress. She was already a slave to the Red Keep, but to stay here for an eternity? It would never work out, Konan was sure of it. But for her Empress, she had to try.

"Yes." though she hesitated for a moment. "I will do it." The Empress cheerfully smiled, and Konan was plagued with the thoughts of _him_ again. Though she wished they would be gone already, it had been too long for the feelings to resurface, but he was already gone and she would never see him again.

How she missed her beloved Yahiko ever so much.


	2. Chapter 2

_When the noble lord, Uchiha Sasuke lays eyes upon Haruno Sakura, all bets are off. He is consumed by her beauty and innocence so much that he must have her, even if it means disrupting the peace. __Meanwhile, around the Seven Kingdoms, others are battling among themselves in a twisted game, naïve to the evil dangers that lurk beyond the icy cold wall. Brother turns on brother, rich nobles getting blood on their hands and greed circulating around the lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms. A dark tale of betrayal, lust and how things are not always as they seem. ASOIAF-universe. SasuSaku & others.  
_

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_**A/N: **__Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. I have some surprises for you in the forthcoming chapters, tehe. Just so you know, I'm not a big shipper of ItachixKonan, and I know that a few people are. I'm sorry, but I just feel like Konan should stick with either Yahiko or Nagato… In this story's case, I'm making it Yahiko because Nagato… Well, you'll see c:__  
_

_Reviews are greatly appreciated and encouraged. I want to know what you think of the story and if I need to fix anything. Seriously, they will only take a few seconds or so, so just write a few words when you get to the end of the chapter and tell me what you think! Good? Bad? Mediocre? I just really wanna know, ok?!_

_I like character development, but there's a certain point where a story just drags on for so long and you're basically just like "GET TO THE POINT ALREADY." I won't be lingering around character development for ages; it'll mainly be in the few beginning chapters. So I'm sorry if there is a little too much drab with the stories._

_Questions? Post them and I will explain it to you in the forthcoming chapter! Or if you just want to talk to me (in that case, I love chatting) don't be hesitant to send me a message. If you want to know my AIM just message me and we can talk about ASOIAF or Naruto or whatever pleases you xD._

_The quotes below are just good quotes that I find and like. They probably won't have a lot of relevance to the story unless I say otherwise, lol. Also an anon asked me whether I was reading Game of Thrones from the TV series or the books. It's both! ASOIAF usually refers to the books, while Game of Thrones refers to the TV series. Yes, I've read all five books 8)_

_As always: Enjoy!_

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"Before marriage, a girl has to make love to a man to hold him. After marriage, she has to hold him to make love to him."

Marilyn Monroe

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**SAKURA**

A brilliant mixture of moon glow and candle light reflected a certain pink-haired girl at the corner of her bed chambers. Tonight, the moon was pure and the night was clear, and the return of her father would surely bring great news of the peace treaty. Sakura had high hopes for the final draw of the Kaguya and Haruno bitterness. One of her uncles had suffered under the wrath of a Kaguya blade, and Sakura just wanted all the tension over and done with.

Her mother was always suspicious of the guards, always paranoid that there would be a Kaguya or one of their henchmen that would come into the castle and murder the family. Hopefully, after this day, her father, uncles and plenty of cousins will have settled the matter. Sakura hated feeling unsafe in her own home. This night, she would finally get to rest easy, knowing that her father had sent a raven telling her mother of smooth courses.

The Haruno clan would be back some time this night, knowing that they came back alive and well would cause Sakura to put a stop to all of those sleepless nights, wondering if her family would ever come back alive or not. Sakura laid her weary head on her feathered pillow, resting her mind for a very short moment. She had no intention of falling asleep tonight, though it would be her last. She wanted to hear the good news from her father personally.

Sakura unintentionally started to drift away from her consciousness, but it was interrupted by a soft knock at her door. The pink-haired girl's eyes jolted open and she quickly got up to open the door. Behind the wooden door, it revealed to be her handmaiden. She was a tall girl, about a year older than her with dark brown hair that ended up cuddling her scalp on the top of her head in two buns.

"Tenten!" she had to contain herself, but what it sounded like now, was a screech or a yelp of some sort. Sakura covered her mouth, realizing she had just lost composure in front of her friend and handmaiden. Tenten simply chuckled at the pink-haired girl. "Is my father back? Did they just get here? When did they come?

Tenten nodded her head. "Yes, they're back; I was just coming to get you. They're downstairs, now let's go!" Tenten grabbed Sakura's hand and they both rushed down the hall and finally downstairs. It had been months since Sakura had seen her dear father, and she was quite close with him. He had taught her the art of healing and medicine since she was young.

When she arrived at the great hall, she watched her mother tightly embrace her father in a hug. She had probably been crying, knowing her mother's weak soul when it came to her friends and family. But then again, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with that fact; Sakura was almost the same way.

"Tou-sama!" she ran towards her parents and grabbed them in a strong hold. She hugged her mother close and her father even closer. The moment was over; Sakura and her mother were keen on knowing what happened in the capital. Tenten returned to Sakura's side with a half-smile on her face, watching as the other members of the Haruno clan had made various benches their resting place for the moment.

"How was the visit to the Uchiha, my love?" Haruno Mebuki asked, still loosely clutched to her husband. The other clan members and some members of the lesser clans had begun talking amongst themselves even though it was probably midnight. It didn't really matter to Sakura, though; she was only concerned about settling the scores with the Kaguya clan at the moment.

"Perhaps we should go somewhere and talk, privately." Mebuki nodded immediately. "You too, Sakura, darling, and Tenten can come along." Sakura and Tenten obliged, and they followed Lord and Lady Haruno to a room behind the great hall. The two younger girls took their places beside each other. Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki sat across from them, with a table separating them.

"I admit that my visit to the Uchiha clan brought on unexpected quarrels within our clan. The agreement isn't exactly to our liking, but nevertheless it happened and it's much too late to turn back now." Tension rose through the air. "Peace has finally been established within our two clans, yes, but at a very high price, unfortunately."

Sakura heard Tenten gulp, but she wasn't the only one that was worried. Sakura felt her palms get sweaty, and she had seen her mother's brow grow into a worried expression. Bad tidings weren't in her father's nature; he almost always settled things that ensured the peace of his lands. He thought nothing about the safety of himself, but rather the safety of his region and his clan. Whatever the news was, it wasn't good.

"Under the agreement of both of the clans, Kaguya and Haruno, as well as the royal clan, Uchiha; a marriage will consummate the act of peace between our two lands." Sakura bit her lip at her father's words. "It is proposed that you will marry Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan as the act of peace, you two will ride forth to the Crownlands on the morrow with Sakura's cousins."

Sakura felt like someone had punched her in the stomach and all of the oxygen in her lungs had disappeared. Her eyes felt like they were going to collapse into waterfalls, and never stop. She was now an item to be sold. She was considered an object that would belong to this evil Kaguya man for eternity.

In some way or another, Sakura had known that she would have to be given to another noble marriage for political reasons. Her mother had done it, her grandmother had done it, and it will continue to be done. Sakura had never guessed it would be with a foul Kaguya of all clans. There were many who spoke ill of the Kaguya for reasons that she personally agreed with. They were well-known for being unpleasant folk.

There were no words that Sakura could have spoken, for a moment she forgot entirely about the vocabulary she was taught in her younger years. The Common Tongue had escaped her, and the only thing she could hear was the sound of her heart pounding against her chest. This Kaguya… She would belong with him forever and bear him sons that would also become Kaguya's. The hole in her stomach seemed to be getting bigger as the moments passed.

She gazed around the room, feeling like a stranger in her own home. It felt as if she didn't know where she was, or even who she was. The walls were caving in, and she was left feeling crushed between its death grip. It was impossible to try to claw her way out, she was already in way too deep, feeling like she was falling forever, still. It couldn't be; she wouldn't believe her father would aimlessly give her away like a flagon of wine.

"Sakura-sama?" Tenten's face was becoming a mere illusion. Sakura's eyes were probably creating some sort of impaired reality because of her father's news. Once Sakura had snapped out of the penetrating world, she looked towards Tenten's face of which she had plastered on a worried expression.

"I… I'm fine." Sakura choked on her own saliva. She could barely think, much less speak. A blockade had grown in her throat, making it hard for her to breathe or talk. In truth, Sakura was the opposite of fine. She had felt betrayed and used, raised only to be slaughtered like swine on a farm. She hardly managed to stop the quivering in her chin from revealing her true feelings, although she could see that Tenten knew they were apparent.

Mebuki put her head down on the wooden table, probably having the same feeling as Sakura. They were alike in so many ways, and anyone who has ever seen them side-by-side agreed upon the fact. From their normally smiling, dimply cheeks to their forgiving nature, Mebuki and Sakura were always looked upon with gratitude and a sort of raw desire. Haruno Mebuki would know exactly how it would feel for Sakura to be conveyed off to a man she had never met in her life.

"Sakura, we must be strong." Mebuki told her daughter, when she lifted her head back up. Sakura glimpsed the tears on her mother's cheeks in the calmness of the wax candle. The tears were shadowing her face like a silhouette, and even then the Lady of the Reach still looked exceptionally beautiful. Mebuki quickly wiped away the weakness on her face, she had learned to be strong for her family and she wouldn't let womanly softness get in the way of that.

Sakura forbade herself from crying, although looking at her mother's washed away tear stains, she felt the need to. She would be leaving her home behind and everyone she has ever known. Women, whether they were of the highest nobility, were always treated poorly. Always the toys for males to put their cock in and birth their heirs who would do the exact same to another woman, it truly made Sakura sickened to her stomach about the fairness in the world.

"My dear, it has already been settled." the Haruno lord said to his family. He put his eyes down from his daughter in respect. He too was feeling the loss of his daughter, even though when he went into the Red Keep, the last thing he wanted or expected was a marriage contract. Kizashi loved his daughter too much to intentionally give her away to the dreaded Kaguya's. But on the same note, if he would have objected, the Uchiha are very soulless when it comes to the will of the Godly Ancestors.

"Tou-sama, it is… It's alright. I know what is required of me." Sakura tried to sound as intelligent as she knew her father to be. Although she didn't want to go through with the act of marrying a complete stranger, she had been preparing for it for her entire life. Whether she protested it or not, women would never know the world to be theirs. It was a game for men, and it proved to Sakura how incapably flat most men were. The only hint of goodness in the world was put there by a woman of sorts.

That night, Sakura couldn't keep her eyes closed. Staring at the blank, brink wall to the side of her bed was the only comfort she had. For this was the last time Sakura would sleep in the castle and be known as a clansman of the famed and noble Haruno clan. It was the last time she would see the full moon glowing like a white candle, cozily in her bed chambers during the dead of the night as Haruno Sakura.

While the entirety of the house was likely in a deep, warm slumber, Sakura's avocado eyes were scanning her bed chambers, trying to recall forgotten memories of her childhood here. The majority of her childhood was spent playing with wooden dolls with Tenten, while being mindlessly scolded by her mother. Her recent adolescent years were spent hauling dead fish into her chambers only to bring them back to life again with her fine medical practices.

The morning that followed was a very _difficult_ one. The heavens above the Reach started to weep for the departure of another Haruno to fulfill her duties. The rain had a sort of calmness to it; feather-light rain drops and a pearly grey sky to match. Walking in the rain brought on a hopeful sensation for Haruno Sakura. Drops of silvery water landed on her bare skin, soaking her blood and into her bones. It was a good feeling, the blossoms needed watering.

By the time Sakura had gotten dressed for the first day's journey, carriages and horses and accomplices of the sorts were already stationed in front of the castle's gates, waiting for Sakura. Even Tenten was waiting inside of the crimson carriage that was obviously meant for Sakura. She sighed, walking slowly towards them.

Some good people even went out of their way to stand in the feathery rain and see the only daughter of Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki. A precious cherry blossom that would float away in the glimpse of a soft rainfall, they had come to see the last of her. Children waved to her as well as their good mothers, boy-samurai's even said a short farewell to her by bowing in their newly-acquired armor. She praised them back with a courtly nod.

Her parents had already said their final farewells to their daughter inside of the castle. They presented her with a glass hair ornament that took the shape of a chrysanthemum with scarlet and rose-coloured stains on it. It was supposedly her great-grandmother's who was also a Haruno, and that was their goodbye to her.

A straight-faced Sakura walked into the carriage that was hers. It was uncomfortable, as she had figured out some two years ago while riding to Dorne on a hot summer day. There were pillows and splendid food of course, but the road was bumpy and there were many unsettling feelings that came with traveling amongst the main roads; there was always cases of rapes and killings by cheap sellswords and thieves that brought a little apprehension out of Sakura.

Inside of the carriage were two women who, alongside her mother, went about her life in true admiration. Her own handmaiden, Tenten, who poked her nose into every doings of the noble clan, they were together since Sakura could learn how to walk. The other woman, around fifty or so, was Tsunade, her trusted mentor and a second mother to Sakura; she was the woman who changed Sakura's loin clothing as an infant.

Tsunade had come to the Reach, fleeing the capital after a rebellion six years before Sakura was born. She had worked under the Empress as a handmaiden alongside the Master of Ships. Renowned for her work of poison concoctions and their cures; even if she wasn't a Haruno, she possessed greatness for medical abilities and helped Sakura understand it more than her family ever could teach her.

"Sakura-sama!" Tenten said in a girly, childish voice. It could only mean one thing. "Katsuei is coming to the capital as well." For as long as Sakura could remember, Haruno Katsuei was Tenten's long-time affection. Tenten made Sakura promise never to tell, even though Tenten has hinted it at him a few times. Katsuei was of the non-intelligent sort. All the things a Haruno shouldn't be: cocky, impatient, and unthankful.

The older woman chuckled as the carriage started off. Tsunade knew the two girls' secrets, and Sakura secretly thought that sometimes Tsunade had a sort of adolescent spirit, too. Always wanting to hear gossip and having an extremely bad temper, despite her age. Though she was in her fifties, she looked much younger than that. Around twenty-six maybe; the big-breasted blonde was a stunning capture of pro-feminism.

Rain droplets soothed the sounds of kicking rocks and scrapes against the pathway to the capital. It was nice and comforting. The two women had decided to take a nap once the carriage had finally left the center of the Reach. As for Sakura, she couldn't so much as close her eyes. Her mind was drifting out of reality and into a chaotic world of confusion. She wondered for a moment, when she would be able to sleep.

The first inn the group stopped at was a quaint little place just inside of the Reach's borders. The owners were an elderly couple who were probably in the middle class. Though the inn was quite small, it smelled of fresh dough and there were enough rooms to sleep the entire assembly of people Sakura was traveling with, even if they did have to share rooms.

Once Sakura and her two female companions were settled in the small, cozy room on the third floor of the inn, they went into the hall for their dinner that the owners would be serving. As they walked into the room in their dark robes, they noticed that a majority of other people were in the inn's eating hall as well, not just her traveling company. The three ladies got many mild stares from some of the strangers before they continued their business.

Once the three had gotten their food from the elderly woman who owned the inn with her husband, Tamotsu, another of Sakura's cousins, waved them down to go sup with them at a long table at the corner of the room. It seemed the entire traveling company was there, about twelve people. Sakura took a look at the table and glared at her cousin. There was no empty seats, not even for one, but behind them there were just enough for three.

Tamotsu looked apathetic for a moment, and signalled to one of the Haruno's guard's to move from his seat. Akihiro, a pleasant man and a sworn clansman to the Haruno clan grabbed his food and drink and began to sit up from his seat. Sakura quickly shook her head. "There is no need for you to move from your place, Akihiro-san; we're fine sitting a table behind you."

"Sakura-sama, I insist." Akihiro said, but Sakura shook her head again and smiled at the older man. He was very polite and wasn't the richest fellow in the Reach, but his clan had been loyal to the Haruno's for thousands of years, he was one of her father's most trusted friends. The dark haired, older-man smiled and sat back down and continued to talk.

The inn was noisy, people mostly ignoring the likes of nobles and chattering amongst themselves. It was good because it would give Sakura the advantage of talking about private matters with her trusted companions. The table that was farther down from where Tamotsu and the lot were wasn't empty. A cloaked stranger sat by the window, and the ladies had realized this once they had taken their places.

Sakura sat directly beside the stranger, and Tenten and Tsunade across from her. The stranger had no food in front of him, but he did have a small bottle of sake and an empty mug in front of him. She couldn't see any of his skin, not his eyes, nor his hands. "Mind if we sit here?" Sakura asked in a kind and sweet tone of voice, hoping that the stranger wasn't an evil, estranged man her mother and father had warned her about.

The dark-cloaked man shook his head. With relief, the three started to eat their meals. They were served a bowl of red rice and beans, along with sashimi and another sort of flaky fish. The meal wasn't anything fancy, like what Sakura was used to, but it made her feel wholesome and thankful for the first time. She dug in without regards to who was watching, she didn't care if she ate like a poor man, and she wasn't being eyed by her mother.

"When do you think we'll arrive, Shishou?" Sakura asked, trying to fit a small chunk of rice into her mouth. It was the farthest thing from being lady-like, and Tsunade would've scolded her about it if her mother or father were present. But outside of the world of etiquette, Sakura nor Tenten nor Tsunade cared about such boring things.

"Hmm, I can't tell you for sure, but I'd say around seven days including rest stops." her Shishou smiled at the brunette and the pink-haired girl before glimpsing vaguely at the stranger. Finally she withdrew her look and started on her sashimi, poking at it until she was satisfied with picking it up with her chopsticks.

"I can't wait to see the capital, it sounds so exciting." Tenten sighed. She took a huge bite of her food and then looked around to see if anyone was staring, as she remembered that she had to act lady-like in public. Tenten pushed her plate of half-eaten food away from her before she rested her posture and slouched over in a position that made her look lazy. She gazed at the other two ladies who were also finished with their meal.

"Only if you plan on staying within the Red Keep, it is." Tsunade shook her head and curled her lip in a sort of way that made it seem she was disgusted by the topic. "Inside of the keep you get to hear everything happening around the Seven Kingdoms, or if you'd like, you could watch a man's tongue get ripped out." the blonde lady sighed. "No, I'd say the capital is a horrible place filled with lies and deceit. I barely managed to come out alive."

"You think that's tough do you?" the stranger croaked from behind his shadowy mask. His voice was shady and sharp, like tree bark. When he pulled back his cloak, a handsome man of around thirty was now sitting at the table instead of the uncanny stranger that was there before them. The stranger's eyes were deep, and he had a plate of metal surrounding his masculine face and outlining his features.

"You high nobles prancing around, drinking wine and sitting on your bosoms in the safety of the Red Keep with hundreds of guards surrounding you." the handsome man shook his head and spit out an intimidating laugh. He pointed at Tsunade. "You have no idea what King's Landing is really like, then, do you? Ever been outside those walls? Ever had to stab a man in the throat to survive? Or maybe keep one eye open as you sleep on the streets?"

Tsunade looked completely dumbfounded.

"Of course you haven't." he lowered his finger and looked around at the people in the room. "Beyond this quaint country you call the Reach, is more danger than you could possibly imagine, and King's Landing is the worst of it all. Entering there is close to a death wish, you only made it out because of your status." he paused. "People like me; we don't get the fine luxuries as you. We have to kill a dozen men in order to eat a bite of meat.

"In the streets of King's Landing, women the same ages as you, would either be whores or raped and dead. Women out on the streets have seen more death and chaos than you will ever see in your lifetime; things far worse than seeing a man getting his tongue removed by the Emperor's right-hand man. They have probably done a lot more gruesome stuff in order to stay alive. It's madness in King's Landing, and you're a fool to believe otherwise." the stranger coughed.

"How did you get out alive if it's truly that bad?" Sakura asked the man. She was disturbed by his story. King's Landing couldn't have been as bad as he said it was. Sakura had been told it was a beautiful place with the smell of sea-salt hanging high in the air and temples as bigger than her bed tower. There was supposed to be a royal garden that almost matched the ones in between the Reach and swans that complemented the imperial ponds.

"I was finally exiled from the place altogether." the stranger rubbed his temples. "Yamato of the Wood Style, have you heard of this man?" the three ladies nodded their heads. "I am Yamato of the Wood Style, an ex-member of the Emperor's guard. I was banished from the Emperors guard and once they had found me in the streets of King's Landing, they had planned to behead me if not for my escape a few months ago."

A look of awe spread across the faces of the three ladies. Tenten was especially familiar with Yamato of the Wood Style. He was one of the greatest members of the Emperor's Guard, serving fourteen years under the shield of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms. Tenten nor Sakura could talk, they heard that Yamato was a great man, honorable and a generous soul, and they knew he had been exiled a long while ago.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "You're foolish. If you are Yamato of the Wood Style, you wouldn't be telling three strangers your true identity, if you were smart you would be at the Wall or fleeing from the Seven Kingdoms. Those who are exiled are usually supposed to be awaiting a death sentence, yet you are here bragging about all the hardship you have faced. As a previous Emperor's guard member, you must have a price on your head, and there are plenty of collection bases around here."

Yamato laughed. "It's not like I'm not familiar with the three of you. Tsunade the great Slug Princess, Haruno Sakura the prettiest girl of the Seven Kingdoms and Tenten her rough and tough handmaiden; it isn't just me who knows of your forthcoming. There is a price on your head as well, Slug Princess, and it is probably doubled mine. I'm just warning you about King's Landing and everywhere else outside the Reach, there is no harm in that is there?

"Handing me over to a collection base would be just as dangerous as if I had done the same to you. It's a no win situation, as you probably know." Yamato sipped from his sake bottle and licked his lips and put it back down on the table. He wiped off the extra ale around his mouth with the dark fabric of his cloak. "I just wanted to see if these rumors were true or not."

"Rumors?" Tsunade questioned.

"It's going around the Seven Kingdoms that the royal family has passed a death sentence onto a girl prettier than any empress could hope to be. There rumors are obviously true and marrying an innocent Haruno to one of those Kaguya boys is surely a way to torture the purity out of the girl. That on top of the boarding in King's Landing with the Uchiha's; I wish you good luck, for I wouldn't have enough lives to go through what you will in time."

Yamato nodded respectively to the three ladies and put his cloak overtop of his head and sat up from his spot, than he rushed out of the door and into the night.


	3. Chapter 3

_When the noble lord, Uchiha Sasuke lays eyes upon Haruno Sakura, all bets are off. He is consumed by her beauty and innocence so much that he must have her, even if it means disrupting the peace. __Meanwhile, around the Seven Kingdoms, others are battling among themselves in a twisted game, naïve to the evil dangers that lurk beyond the icy cold wall. Brother turns on brother, rich nobles getting blood on their hands and greed circulating around the lords and ladies of the Seven Kingdoms. A dark tale of betrayal, lust and how things are not always as they seem. ASOIAF-universe. SasuSaku & others.  
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_**A/N: **__That chapter was alright, I suppose. That was the second chapter, still getting into the development, and if that's not okay with you than too bad so sad xD. I want to make this in a layout that makes this story seem professional. I know it's not, I'm just an aspiring writer and it bugs me when stories are just so… Unformatted that it makes it seem like a 10 year old did it. Sorry, not sorry.__  
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_Also, there will be a few point of views, as well. I'd like to explore the regions of Westeros, and I want you to see where I put my characters in what region. It kind of makes sense how Sakura would be in the Reach because as we all know the Reach is a place with endless beauty and gardens and what not. It's appropriate okay?_

_Did you like the ending of the last chapter? It actually took me an exaggerated three years to come up with what the stranger would say and who he would be. I landed on Yamato because he just seems like he would be a knight in the bingo book because he's a wood style user. Uh, I think I did a fairly good job with writing Yamato's warning/speech or whatever we shall call it O: hahaha._

_Reviews are nice, they make me feel warm like a cup of drinkable kittens c: and it gives me motivation to keep writing nice things for your loved characters. Don't worry, I'm trying to fit EVERY Naruto character. Minus the filler-arc characters, okay! I'll be fitting in the main characters, some dead characters and basically all of the ones with good history and all that nonsense. _

_XD as always: enjoy!  
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**_QUICK EDIT!: I'M GOING ON A TEMPORARY HIATUS! MY WORK & BRAINSTORMING AND WHATNOT GOT DELETED, SO I HAVE TO REDO VARIOUS CHAPTERS AND ORGANIZE DIFFERENT THINGS. EXPECT ME BACK IN A FEW WEEKS (EARLY-MID JUNE!)_**

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"And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our soul. There walks a lady we all know who shines white light and wants to show how everything still turns to gold."

Led Zeppelin

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**NAGATO**

The farewell had been an ambiguous one, a hug and a few fair words of precaution. Than the company was off and set towards the Riverlands, leaving Nagato behind in a warm hakama, a steel-black plate and a band of misfits staring at him like he was a piece of trash, walking in front of him. Even though Nagato was scared for his life, he wouldn't go back now. It was much too late to turn around and head south towards the Riverlands in the warm castle with his lord cousins.

It was colder than Nagato could have ever imagined. He could feel the frost nip at his cheeks and freeze at the tips of his silky red hair. Nagato had tried his best to come prepared, having the warmest hakama's made with wool and he even packed along wool socks to wear along with his sandals. The snow crunched through Nagato's sandals, sounding like crispy sand and for the first time he wished it was exactly that had been the case.

Nagato finally forced himself too look straight ahead despite the freezing winds and heavy snowfall. It was there, before him; a huge layer of pure ice and snow. He had to look up so far that his neck started to ache and he was forced to look straight again. A small village-typed set up was located directly in front of him that was attached to a shaft that led up the ice-and-snow build and in the clouds. Nagato had finally come to see it with his eyes. The Wall.

Castle Black was intimidating, Nagato had realized as he walked through the opening. He heard the mutter of different jutsu and the sharp tosses of katana blades as well as many people running about the place. The people of this place looked as mighty and dangerous as the wall itself, they stared at him with threatening eyes that didn't fail to haunt him.

"I heard about you coming to join us!" the noise almost made Nagato jump because he wasn't expecting it, but he was trained in combat, he knew of much worse. Nagato turned around to face a small man with a scar on his face. He was very small and child-like with long, pale, blonde hair and somehow startling peach-coloured eyes. If he hadn't such a manly voice, Nagato would have definitely mistaken him for another child.

"Yes." Nagato nodded his head. He didn't want to say anything more. He had heard the people on the Wall were either rapists, thieves or ones that tend to be vile. Nagato's people had warned him about all of the things that happen on the Wall and who were the ones running it. It had sent a shiver down Nagato's spine, but Nagato knew he had to be strong for the kingdom, and he didn't have any other place to go other than the Wall.

The child-like man in black nodded his head and swooped down from the tall balcony and onto his feet about a meter away from Nagato. "I shall take you to Commander-sama then. Follow me." he led Nagato to a house-sized building and knocked on the door twice before opening it and leading the red-haired man inside.

A fire was lit inside of the building, yet it still managed to leave Nagato freezing cold. The man sitting behind a writing-desk with his stool facing the fire looked dangerously unpleasant. The room was dark, and the fire was casting long shadows across his pale face and into his pitch-black steel and hakama that matched his long black hair. All at once, Nagato had learned the nature of this man. This harsh-looking man must be the Lord Commander.

"Let me guess, you're here because you've raped a woman?" the Lord Commander said without so much as looking Nagato's way. The entire time, Nagato saw the child-like man staring at him while Nagato looked out of the corner of his eye. "Or perhaps a man, we have that kind of lot here, too." Still, Nagato couldn't force any word to surface. "It seems like you're the type who goes for whatever you can get. Unfortunately, you were given the decision of death or the Wall and it looks like you chose the harder option."

Nagato cleared his throat. "I haven't raped anyone, nor am I interested in men, Commander-sama." Nagato watched the menacing man turn and face him with eyes that spoke of rubicund death. It wasn't usual that Nagato had felt daunted by men, but he had been having that emotion for the short while at Castle Black. The Commander had striking features, pitch-raven hair, sturdy lips and a masculine jawline.

The Commander looked at Nagato without blinking or a single muscle in his body moving. Then, he put his elbows securely on the writing desk and curled his fingers as if he was praying. "Have you committed high treason against the royal family? Or perhaps you have broken a vow? Tell me the reason they sent you to the wall, boy."

"Commander-sama…" Nagato truthfully didn't know what to say to this punishing man. He looked to be a very young age, probably around thirty, and he sounded as if he were lecturing like a fifty year old man, instead. "I haven't committed any sort of treason, I have never broken a vow in my life, I have come here on my own because I want to be the shield of the Seven Kingdoms and protect it at the cost of my own life."

The Lord Commander let out a quick chuckle, and then continued his hard stare at the red-haired man before him. It was obvious that the Lord Commander didn't believe Nagato… Nobody who was sane wanted to join the Wall. Most of the men who were stationed on the Wall were forced to be there. It was much too far north and downright freezing at the Wall. They said the men on the Wall wished for death to come to them oftentimes.

"You're a funny one, but we don't have time for fun and games here. It's do or die, and if you don't do what I tell you, you're going to die." the Lord Commander took a deep breath in, and then exhaled out his nose, then he pointed towards Nagato. "I want you to tell me why you're here, what sort of crime did you commit to make it so bad as them to sending you to the Wall? I won't believe the garbage you tell me about coming here of your own accord."

"It's not garbage, Commander-sama," Nagato didn't know where to find the words to explain his reasoning. It was good enough for him, and the Lord Commander was in no position to be refusing applicants this time around. Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knew the Wall was much too short of men for any sort of fuss. "I have no other place in this world, and I know that the Wall doesn't judge in terms of who is manning it."

"Boy, what is your name?" the question from the Commander lingered in his mind. Nagato stared at his hands that were sheathed from the skin mutilating cold. They weren't shaking; he wasn't startled anymore, he was worried. Nagato was worried about what these people would think of him and how wrong they would be to judge him, because Nagato knew he was anything but weak. The Wall needed him, just as much as Nagato needed it.

"Uzumaki Nagato." he said. Two sets of eyes widened. One set of undercooked-coloured eyes that belonged to the short man with pale hair whose mouth seemed to drop a little as well. The other set of eyes were the color of a ripened tomato and malicious. Why were they so surprised? Perhaps it wasn't surprise they were feeling, maybe it was a sense of fraudulence. Nagato was never empathetic, it was near impossible to know what a stranger was feeling.

"Is that right?" the red-eyes of the Lord Commander blinked, and were staring at Nagato who hid his eyes underneath a coat of perfect red-rose hair. It was almost impossible to see Nagato's rippled eyes, but he knew that the Lord Commander had some idea why he was trying to hide them. "I guess it would make sense because of your bright red hair. So tell me, Nagato, why would a high noble like yourself decided to abandon your clan and come to the Wall? What relation do you have to the Lord of the Riverlands?"

"I am the first cousin of Uzumaki Naruto, the Lord of the Riverlands. Our parents were siblings, as for my reasoning, it is fairly complicated." Nagato sighed. "There is no hope for me as long as I remain in the Seven Kingdoms. I am an outcast, a pariah. I don't belong where high lords play at a game that involves meaningless death. I wish to serve the kingdom in another way, by protecting the innocent that have nothing to do with the sickness of these lords. I will defend the kingdom from whatever else is out there beyond the Wall."

The Lord Commander didn't look pleased at all. "That's what I told myself before coming here too, you see. I hoped that I could make a difference in the protection of the innocent from the creatures beyond that wall. I've seen my share of misfortunes, and I can tell you two things, Uzumaki. One; the things you will see beyond the Wall will make you cry for your mother. Even the strongest of us fear the horrific torture that you will experience in the depths of the coldest mountains."

The black-haired man glimpsed at the fire and seemed to yearn for its heat, than he looked at the young boy in front of him. "The other thing I'm going to tell you is that there is no innocent in the Seven Kingdoms. Not women, not children, not even puppies. They all do what they must do survive, and that is guilt in their existence itself. We all convince ourselves that there are people who have done nothing wrong, and that is who we are fighting for.

"In reality, we are fighting for not a name, but a place in this world. We are fighting for ourselves, and that is all. Everything you will do from now until your death will be for yourself; even if you tell yourself a million times that you wish to defend the acquitted and forsaken people of the Seven Kingdoms."

Nagato didn't speak a word to the commander. What the man was saying made sure to cast a confusing shadow in the red head's mind. Was it really true? Nagato wasn't used to anything but the unfortunate feeling of pain and indifference, and he didn't really know how to read another's perspective on life. Nagato thought hard on what the Lord Commander said, and hoped that he was lying.

After a long moment of unaccounted silence, the Lord Commander stood up from his stool and walked towards Nagato. As the commander stood in front of Nagato, it was clear that he was only a couple of inches taller than Nagato, and it somehow made him feel at ease. "Welcome to the hell we call the Night's Watch. I've decided on placing you in the Second Guard, now let's go down to the battle grounds and you can introduce yourself to the misfits and criminals that will be your brothers."

Nagato followed the child-like man and the Lord Commander outside of the room that they were in and into a more deathly cold. The two led him around Castle Black and finally to the battlegrounds, where many men were sparring against each other, shouting the words to their jutsu. There were all sorts of elements being practised around Nagato as well as sharp kunai, senbon, katana and shuriken.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" the Lord Commander asked the Uzumaki beside him. "The clashes of jutsu, the art of wielding a katana blade; this is what men were made to do. Like I said, those men aren't here because of helplessness people in the lands below. They are here to prove to themselves that they are still alive, or perhaps because they like the feel of human tissue around their blade." the Commander looked bloodthirsty.

There was probably around sixty men battling one another, they were all trained lethally in battle. Nagato knew that the wildlings and other creatures weren't sympathetic and weak, so the men of the Night's Watch had to be strong to survive. There wasn't any time for people who were pathetically dim-witted. The men not only had to battle against the horrible foe behind the thick ice and beyond, but they had to battle brutally against the threaded cold.

"Yahiko!" the Lord Commander yelled, and from in the shrouded blanket of men on the battlegrounds, a tall and athletic man came forward. The rest of the men didn't stop to acknowledge that he was being called by the Commander, they just continued to fight. His cheeks were a hint of pink from the bitter cold, and on top of his scalp sat a plate of orange hair. He looked like he had been through hell and back, with traces of grime on his hands and sides of his face.

"Yes, Commander-sama?" Yahiko eyed Nagato briefly before looking upon the Lord Commander again. The orange-haired man tucked his katana roughly inside of the scabbard and rubbed his cheeks to gain a little heat on them. The man was taller than Yahiko, and looked to be bolder as well. There was a sort of glow about him that made Nagato think of his cousin, Naruto back home. It comforted him a little.

"This is our new recruit, Uzumaki Nagato. Your unit is short on men, so I have put him in the Second Guard. You will train him and decide which range to put him in, now take your unit and go to the sub-battlegrounds along with Uzumaki, here." the Lord Commander turned around. "Don't disappoint me, Yahiko. You're the commander of the Second Guard, and I want to know what this kid can do." the fearsome man walked away.

Yahiko turned around to face the battling men. He cleared his throat. "All of those in the Second Guard, head towards the sub-battlegrounds immediately. Only those from the Second Guard! The rest can continue on." Yahiko turned and walked away. Nagato was pensive for a few moments before he scrambled to his toes and followed the man to the assumed sub-battlegrounds. Nagato kept a short distance away from the man.

A few minutes passed by and it seemed the entire Second Guard was in the tiny battlegrounds that didn't compare to the bigger one. Nagato took an awkward position standing beside a very, very tall man with oily teal skin and spiked blue hair. He carried a large sword on his back that was covered in cloth, with only a golden handle bare. He had an amused smirk on his face that showed his various pointy teeth that resembled a shark.

"What the fuck is this?" the man standing beside the shark-man was looking straight at Nagato. The rest of the unit turned around and looked at Nagato with mixed feelings. The man who had abruptly pointed him out had slicked grey hair and a scythe in his hand. Somewhere deep inside, Nagato knew he wouldn't like this man very much; he just didn't want to admit it because Nagato wasn't the type to judge a book by its cover.

"Our new recruit, Uzumaki Nagato." Yahiko respectively nodded his head towards Nagato. "We are going to see what he can do so we can give him one of the positions in our guard. You are all to treat him like he is your brother, as you do with everyone else in the Night's Watch."

"Fucking great, a petty lord has come to join us, has he?" the grey-haired man with a big mouth yelled. "You did this just to piss me off! I hate nobles, they can all die by the hand of Jashin-sama and burn in hell." his scythe was pointed straight at Nagato. He disliked when people underestimated him, they would soon regret it in the future. But even so, Nagato couldn't do anything about it. These men were going to be his only brethren.

Every family member that Nagato had left; Naruto, Mito and Karin, they wouldn't matter anymore. Since Nagato came to the Wall, his only family were to be the lot that was before him. He was only going to be Uzumaki Nagato when he was called by another, there would be no association with his family once the vows were to be taken. Nagato knew that, and though he would be terribly sad, Yahiko would remind him of Naruto enough that it wouldn't be as horrible as Nagato expected, even though Nagato missed them already.

"It's already bad enough that Lord Commander is a fucking Uchiha, but now an Uzumaki?! This is blasphemy." the grey haired man folded his arms across his chest and mentally sulked to himself. Nagato thought about the words that were spoken by this man. The Lord Commander was an Uchiha? The Uchiha as in the royal family of the Seven Kingdoms, and they probably had it the best. It was unusual to see a noble come to the Wall, but for one who was related directly to the Emperor?

Nagato had a shred of misunderstanding flow through him. It was natural for a newcomer of the Night's Watch to feel a little anxious about coming to the Wall, and battling with men who were criminals and outlaws in their previous life. But the Lord Commander… He was an Uchiha, and Nagato had heard terrible rumors and stories about the things they can do to another person with just their eyes.

"Shut up, Hidan." Yahiko said in a monotone voice that directly spoke of his duties as the commander of the second guard. That seemed to shut the grey-haired man up. Yahiko looked at the men displayed in front of him. They came in all different shapes and sizes, and he already knew their abilities and weakness. But still, he carefully read over them and it seemed he was playing a mind game with himself.

"Uzumaki Nagato," Yahiko pointed to Nagato, who was caught a little off guard. Nagato immediately straightened up. "You may die in this test, but if you do then it means you are not truly cut out for this position. The Second Guard of the Night's Watch is the toughest unit out of seventeen; we don't deal too kindly with scum who think they can protect the realm with abilities that could never match up." He sounded dreadfully serious.

The commander of the second guard held up his hand and he was holding up four fingers. In a flash, the men started to assemble into an orderly fashion around the battlefield, leaving Nagato in the middle of what was supposed to be chaos. The men of the Second Guard took their positions with their hands and feet ready for this plan that Yahiko had given them.

It seemed they were going to attack him, but he didn't think about it quickly enough. In a sudden second, the blue-skinned man slams his sword above Nagato, giving him almost no chance to escape. Nagato panicked and quickly formed five seals as fast as he was taught to do. A large gust of wind that was as powerful as any tornado whipped the blue man away from him.

But it wasn't over yet; the blue man that was thrown away was just a water clone. Nagato turned around to see the man that resembled a great white shark, with his sword to Nagato's shoulder and a mocking grin. Nagato instantly felt weak like all of his life energy had been drained from him. A man that resembled a marionette or a mechanical doll of some sorts, shot his hand out that was connected to hundreds of strings to his body.

The hand caught Nagato's throat. He was caught between two lethal human beings- if they were even human at all. Nagato held his hands together and the being that used to be Nagato, turned into just a water clone. Now Nagato was standing several meters away from the two who thought they had Nagato in a strong hold.

A man with blonde hair, and half tied up on top of his head yelled, "Katsu!" and the area around Nagato started to explode. Nagato jumped into the air, but was immediately slammed back down by a puppet that was bigger than he was.

The group gave the Uzumaki no time to rest or recover, and in an instant, the vulgar, grey-haired man started after him with a scythe connected to a long rope. Nagato hopped to his feet, and tried best he could to dodge the crazy man. One by one, the rest of the Second Guard started after Nagato with endless amounts of explosions and attacks.

Nagato formed eight hand seals and a huge tidal wave crashed into the men of the Second Guard. Only seconds later, the blue man absorbed the water like it was something to drink. Nagato's eyes widened at this. The men were surrounding him for one final attack, even Yahiko was coming in for an attack and he hadn't fought with him at all yet.

The Uzumaki muttered an earth release and a gigantic mud wall rose up from the ground so he had the high advantage point. He quickly formed new seals to make a huge wave of fire release to protect himself from the attack. It had slowed them down somewhat, but many of the members were jumping into the air to attack him once more.

"We've got you now, you petty lord motherfucker!" the grey-haired man yelled as his scythe whipped around his head, going straight towards Nagato. Before it could damage Nagato, he grabbed hold of the scythe and send a tunneling lightening release through the blade and into the man that was pissing Nagato off so much that day. He fell backwards.

The strong lightening release reached all the other members, sending all of the men backwards a little bit. It sent the blonde man to the ground aching. When it seemed that Nagato had proved the guard right, and that he was qualified to take position in the Night's Watch, something spectacular caught Nagato's eye.

It was some sort of purple chakra that was larger than any of the buildings of the Wall, it was almost half the size of the wall itself. The members of the Second Guard looked to be completely fine now, and mostly all of them were smirking, save for two or three. In front of Nagato was the Lord Commander surrounded in a wall of chakra that took the shape of a samurai or something of the sorts.

The chakra pointed an arrow straight towards Nagato, on command of the Lord Commander. Did they want to kill him? It seemed that way. "Prepare yourself, Uzumaki, for this is the final blow!" he heard the commander of the Night's Watch yell. In a flash, the arrow was let go and spiraling towards Nagato. He knew it was impossible to dodge this one.

There was that one last attack…

The arrow was stopped, and absorbed in a cloud of smoke. All eyes were surprised at this, nobody had ever seen such strength. When the fog and smoke disappeared, there were six other men with the same hair color as Nagato, surrounding him. One was absorbing the chakra arrow. The eyes of all Nagato's had the ripple effect.

Nagato had sworn never to bring forth this jutsu. The Sage of Sixth Paths, and all of them were there beside him.


End file.
